We're Supposed To Be In This Together
by CentralMom
Summary: Memories can be our friends but sometimes we wish we could forget. When one brother is lost, another is there to help carry the weight.


A/N: Hello FanFiction. I've been reading stories on this site for years and thought I'd give writing my own story a try. This is my very first story. I want to thank jlopie for being my cheerleader, my beta and my good friend. This story idea came from a prompt from Irene Claire: Write a scene that starts with the line "but we're supposed to be in this together". This is more of a drabble than an actual story. I hope you like it.

DISCLAIMER: Just like everyone says...I do not own the characters nor any part of Hawaii Five-0.

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"But, we're supposed to be in this together."

That's how it always was, all their lives. Growing up in a tight knit family, in a tight knit neighborhood, the two boys of Eddie and Clara Williams were inseparable. No matter what they were doing or where they went. "There they are again...Frick and Frack" the neighbors would say. And while Danny always looked out for his little brother, Matty looked up to Danny as the person he most wanted to be when he grew up because to Matty, Danny already was grown up. Danny could ride his bike anywhere in the neighborhood, while he had to stay in front of the house. It was Danny who taught him how to ride a skateboard and took him on the bus into New York for Yankee games. Matty just adored his big brother. And Danny loved Matty just as much. Even when the annoying little bugger was digging his way under the blankets of Danny's bed during late night thunderstorms, or trying to tag along with his friends or worse, his early first dates. They always had each others backs in a house full of girls, and when one got into trouble and was punished for it, the other went along too. Both scolded, both grounded. When asked why they did it, the answer was always the same, "We're supposed to be in this together."

When it all fell apart with Rachel, Danny would never forget the endless six packs and nary a mention of the stiff neck from sleeping on Danny's sofa for months after the breakup. In Danny's darkest days, Matty was there. Every day, after work, without fail, the front door of the miserable little apartment would open and Matty would be there. Beer and takeout in hand. Every single, solitary night. When Danny would ask him why he didn't just go home instead of sitting there watching him be miserable, Matty always said the same thing. "We're supposed to be in this together". Danny would just smile, sit back, and open another beer.

But that was then. When Matty left, Danny tried to forget. He hadn't thought about Matty in years. Well, that wasn't true. He thought about Matty a lot. Days, or maybe even weeks, would go by without a conscious thought, but, as much as he tried, he just couldn't completely forget. It mostly came at night and being a worrier by nature, Danny wasn't unfamiliar with the feeling. So in between worries about Grace's wellbeing, about where his relationship with Amber...er...Melissa was going, all the open cases Five-0 still had on the table and, especially, his crazy ass partner and whatever new lunacy he was thinking up while laying in his own bed, Danny thought about Matt. Worrying about him, wondering where he was and what he was doing. It was just so painful and even though he wasn't able to completely stop it, Danny deliberately set his mind to trying to shut it out. Then came the day he opened his front door and found Marco Reyes standing in his house and he was forced to remember. Remember the lies, the meeting with the drug lord, laundered money and late night private planes taking Matty to God only knows where and out of Danny's life.

"This ends one of two ways, brother. You either shoot me or you say goodbye." He should have shot him. There is no way in hell he could have shot him. He should have shot him. He would have never forgiven himself if he shot him. He should have shot him. What would he have told his parents if he'd shot him? He should have shot him. But he didn't shoot him and he never even got to say goodbye.

The moment Reyes had that barrel wheeled in, he knew he should have shot Matty on that tarmac four years ago. If he had, Matty would have been wounded both physically and emotionally, would have been hauled off to prison, would have been angry and resentful and distrustful of Danny, and maybe even hated him for the rest of his life. But he would have had a life and it could have been a long and healthy hate. This? This was Danny's fault. He should have stopped him.

When the reverberating sound of the shot finally settled into a stunned silence, Danny looked down at the dead, open-eyed face of Marco Reyes. He had become the one thing he had spent his life fighting against. How would he ever reconcile this in his mind, be the cop he'd always tried to be, when he was as bad as all the murderers he'd helped to put away? In those seconds, he felt alone, totally alone in his anger, in his disbelief, in his grief.

But then there was a small movement to his left and his befuddled mind cleared. Steve was there. Steve had been with him, been beside him, all this time, just like always. Another brother to help with the burdens. Now... the only brother. Steve just stood, strong and fierce support pouring from him. By Danny's side for this and for whatever would come next.

Later, as they sat in the plane that would take them back home to Hawaii, a tired and dejected Danny looked over to Steve and asked…. "What now? What happens next? Look at what I did. And now you're involved and as guilty as me."

Steve smiled a calming smile as he responded "Danny, no one is going to blame you for what you did. Everyone who knows and loves you will understand. If there are any legal repercussions we will deal with them. Ohana, right?"

Danny blinked back a few unshed tears. "Why would you do that? Jeopardize your career for that?"

Resting his hand on Danny's shoulder, he simply replied, "Because Danny, we're supposed to be in this together."

THE END


End file.
